Welcome to Abby's Secret Summer School, the private Instagram oasis of women all over the world writing together, (virtually) high-fiving each other, and pressing on creatively in the sun.

Come to write! Leave with a whole community of writers and readers who will support you all summer long (and beyond!) .

Just like in my fall/spring classes, I will create a warm space for you to play with your writing and take risks. Here’s how it will work: I will share two poems a week + offer two prompts on our private Instagram class page. You’ll write on your own, post it (with a hashtag), and feel the love and support from everyone else along for the ride. You can post on your public page, or create a new, secret IG account just for your summer school writing. There’s no time obligation and no zoom meetings (this is summer break, after all!), but there will be inspiration in the prompts, accountability in the community, and feedback from your fellow writers.

You get:

Two poems/prompts a week for 5 weeks.
I’ll introduce you to poems I love, specifics of craft, and prompts that will invite you to write “in the shadow of the text.” We will lean on the technique we’ve read in each piece to write our own work.
“Office Hours” every other week.
You’ll have exclusive access to me in our private IG group with every other weekly IG stories check in: What are you struggling with in terms of process, creativity, how you sit down and write? (These will be saved in IG stories highlights in case you miss them live!)
Two IG Live craft talks about particular pieces we are reading (“look at the line breaks here!” “Did you see this new Ada Limón poem?” “Look who’s writing well about what’s happening in the world right now!”)
Clear guidelines about delivering feedback as a part of a supportive writing community.
A commitment to yourself to write every week, all summer long.
Low stakes! You can write and share, or write just for yourself.
If you’ve already taken a class with me, this is an easy way to keep your writing muscles active. And if you have been looking at an easy way to try out creative writing? ? Here is a way to begin, among wonderful people.
A few other surprises (summer school is full of surprises, after all): sneak peaks of what I’m working on, what I’m reading, and highlights of your pieces that excite me.
And the most exciting part: you’ll join a community of supportive writers and readers, people who can’t wait to read your work and cheer you on.

How it works:

Sign up on Corzisio. Request access to @abbyssecretsummerschool23. [NOTE: THIS IS DIFFERENT THAN LAST YEAR'S SITE, SO PLEASE REQUEST ACCESS TO NEW PAGE!]
Once signed up, you share your Instagram handle + I’ll invite you to follow the private IG handle. (There are limits on how many people I can invite a day, so please give it 48 hours.)
Check your IG feed for an invite to the private group.
You follow posted prompts, write twice a week and share with the hashtag #abbyssummerschool so we can all read + love on you.
If you want your work to be private, create a private IG handle just for this.
Comment on other people’s work! This is the best part! Truly!
You are welcome to publicly share the work you create in this group, but cannot share anyone else’s without their permission. Please DM to ask their permission, always. Some people love sharing things, others do not. People who do not respect this rule will be asked to leave summer school.